


By the Numbers

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:32:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John corrects Rodney's math. Written fork Kink Bingo prompt “verbal humiliation”.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Numbers

Rodney is never wrong. At least not most of the time. Rodney isn't totally oblivious, he knows people think he has a big ego, but that's just because he is right. There are very few people who can keep up with him, and even though sometimes Rodney makes mistakes rarely does anyone catch them. Samantha Carter might have been close, but even when she was right, he was still right too. It was just a fluke that her variable worked. So it sends a jolt down Rodney's spine the first time Sheppard flashes him a cocky smile and with a little tilt of his head says, "The answer's 36598.924, McKay." and points at Rodeny's data pad with a hairy knuckle, finger extending to hover over where Rodney moved a decimal point. Rodney's human. He makes mistakes. But before Sheppard no one ever really caught them, and when they did, they didn't whisper the failure in Rodney's ear before leaving in a whirl of smirk and cocky step. Rodney has always had a thing for smart, and no ones ever been smarter than Rodney.

It becomes a thing, John will drop by at odd times and look over Rodney's work. Rodney has never made so many small calculation errors in his entire life, but John doesn't seem to notice if something is different. He brushes a hand past Rodney's arm raising the small hairs there and tells Rodney that he should get his eyes checked, or maybe get a calculator because, "Seriously McKay, that's a 3 not an 8, Zelenka's handwriting is not that bad." And it's not that Rodney's playing dumb. He isn't doing anything interesting, but it's seriously hard to deny the evidence when at ten thirteen p.m. two weeks later Rodney looks over a page of calculations and realizes he's made an error that could possibly lead to a small explosion in one of the desalinization tanks which is really just ridiculous, and clearly he needs to actually think about what this means. Just because John Sheppard-math-savant correcting Rodney's calculations has worked its way into his jerk off fantasies is not a good reason for destroying the infrastructure of Atlantis. Rodney spends the rest of the night in his lab going over all the calculations of the last two months and sitting silently staring at his hands trying to figure out what to do. Clearly he's going to have to talk to Sheppard, or try and forget all of this which really doesn't seem to be much of an option.

If Sheppard sees a change in the amount of mistakes Rodney is making, he still doesn't say anything. Rodney double checks everything before he hands it over, sometimes a quick glance if Sheppard's surprised him, sometimes thoroughly when he has an inkling that Sheppard will be dropping by. Atlantis' lab logs and back up hard drives have never been so well used.  
Even Kavanaugh comments on Rodney's incessant saving and crosschecking, "Starting to doubt your intelligence McKay? I thought you didn't need to take the time because you were always right." And that just puts a leaden twist of guilt and anger in his gut. Rodney doesn't respond, but continues his work and then runs back to his room wishing that he enjoyed punching things because at this point if he doesn't blow off steam soon there are going to be problems.

It's late Tuesday evening and Zelenka is at the Tuesday night chess club meeting. Rodney is almost alone in the lab, except for Miko who's packing up to leave, in her measured, perfectionist way. Rodney isn't paying attention and might have missed John entering except that Miko bumps into him at the door and her 'excuse me' followed by John's, "Oh, no problem" brings Rodney's head up. Rodney has managed to dodge John for five days. They see each other at lunch, and go on missions, but this is probably the longest John has gone without seeing any of Rodney's research.

"Hey what are you working on?" John says, leaning up against the metal lab table, his hips jutting out and his fingers flexing on the metal as he slides a coffee cup over to Rodney with the other hand.  
Rodney studiously watches the coffee cup, "Nothing interesting."  
"Really? I thought you were going to be doing power simulations this week."  
"Well. Yes. Yes I am. But they're fine." Rodney snaps. John raises his hands in defense.  
"Hey. Just asking." Rodney glares at the cup of coffee. He snags it with one finger bringing it to his lips but he can't seem to take a drink. He can feel John's eyes on him. He puts the cup down.  
"Fine. Thank you Sheppard. What do you want?"  
"I just, haven't seen you lately." John is wheedling, Rodney can hear it in the whining quality of his voice, he might as well be clasping his hands behind his back and rocking from foot to foot staring up through is eyelashes. Rodney sighs.  
"We went on a mission yesterday; I think you've seen plenty of me." Rodney dares a look at John and their eyes catch.  
"Rodney, is something wrong?" John's body language is inviting, careful, he looks genuinely concerned. Rodney has been staying up later than usual to crosscheck his work which means he's been getting an average of three hours of sleep a night instead of the regular five or six. So maybe Rodney isn't really thinking clearly when he says,  
"No, nothings wrong because I've been making stupid mistakes that could get us all killed because I get hard when you tell me I've dropped a negative sign. Seriously Sheppard what do you want me to say? You cannot see my work because it would be enforcing a really bad habit and I need to be able to actually think instead of think about you and your" beyond words and twitching with nervous energy, Rodney waves a hand at John trying to encapsulate the John-ness that has been so damn distracting since day one. And then his brain catches up with his mouth and Rodney picks up the cup of coffee and downs it in one go scalding the back of his throat. It makes his eyes water, which is probably good because he really doesn't want to see John's face right now. Rodney looks sightlessly at the data pad in front of him. A hand on his shoulder makes him jerk, but it's soft and steady, not a slap or accusation. Rodney blinks and turns toward John. John's face is serious but not angry.  
"Hey, Rodney, it's all right. It's okay." Rodney scoffs turning away. He doesn't need sympathy, the "you can be yourself" just before someone decides they're never going to speak to you again. "You haven't hurt anybody, and I don't think anyone would really mind tepid water for a week, you never screwed up big."  
"That's what you think." Rodney mutters staring at his hands but John squeezes his shoulder, drawing Rodney's eyes back to him. John has a slight smile and he's looking at Rodney.  
"What if I told you that I like going over your math with you. I mean everyone knows you’re a genius, but no one ever told me I should have been in Mensa. I had to take the test for myself." John's voice is soft in the quiet, and Rodney suddenly realizes they're both leaning towards each other, John with his elbows braced on the table. Rodney breathes deeply through the shiver that runs through him. John's not saying everything but Rodney thinks that maybe they're on the same page.  
"I always thought it was the numbers, math, being able to have someone who keeps up with me, but it's not just that..." Rodney whispers into the charged stillness between them.  
"Nobody is right all the time." John says, and he's not smirking, his smile is open and fond and Rodney gets it.  
"Not all the time, but most of it." And John might be laughing just a little bit when their lips touch.


End file.
